Archive for April, 2012

Selling your home like anything else is an art and if you are not good at it, you won’t get the profit you are looking for. I’ve had many people complaining that they were really disappointed with their listing response so I’ve compiled a checklist that will be helpful if you are selling your home this summer. Without wasting much time, let’s get right into it.

First, price your home just right. Enquire how much the real estate market in your neighbourhood is worth and then set a price. Never set a price by yourself as it might be too high or too low. A couple of calls using the local listings can help you save a lot of time when negotiating with potential buyers. Next, brokers. Lot of people out there really don’t like involving brokers when they are selling their home but that is again a big mistake. Ask around for some good brokers and list your home with some of the best. Chances are that your broker will have a lot more contacts and they will be able to fetch you a great price even after paying off their commission.

Next comes the most important ‘four month’ rule. If your house has been listed for four months with no takers, take it off the list. Buyers specifically look for such houses to ensure that they get to haggle and reduce the price as much as possible. Taking off your listing after four months and then relisting it again after couple of months will get you new buyers and better profits.

If you do have some potential buyers, before they come see the place make sure it is clean and looks inviting. Most buyers decide the moment they first see the house so keeping it clean or may be even giving your home a fresh coat of paint will help you get through the sale quickly. Also remember to remove all unwanted belongings from different rooms so that new buyers can picture themselves living with their stuff. Trust me, this works. And also make sure there are no odours or pests within the house. If you have decided to sell off your home, go by this list and I’m sure you’ll strike a deal after a few buyers see your place.

Doctors recommend adults to get at least eight hours of sleep in a day but where do we have the time right? Work, kids, chores, the list is just endless. Haven’t there been days when you just want to curl up in your bed and sleep twenty four hours straight? I’m going to tell you a simple but effective way to get rid of your tiredness and feel energized like never before. Take a wild guess! Napping! Napping doesn’t mean putting on your pyjamas and sleeping like you’ve been knocked out. A small nap can last anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour. It is proven that a small power nap in the afternoon will energize you, improve your heart health and reduce depression.

Kind of makes sense doesn’t it? If you are sleepy you’ll not be able to concentrate on your work. So why not take a small nap to feel refreshed? An elegant solution indeed. Now I’ll tell you the basic dos and don’ts of napping. First off, make sure you nap at the same time every day. It might not be possible if you are working but you can always time your lunch break so as to squeeze in a quick shut eye. Another thing you should always make sure is to set an alarm at the exact time you want to get up. You don’t want to sleep off and miss work right? The ideal time to doze off is between 2PM and 4PM. It is not advisable to nap after 5PM as your biological clock will be already setting itself up to sleep through the night.

The last tip, find yourself a place you can nap. It is not necessary that you need a bed to nap on. Just find a nice quiet place with a comfortable chair and doze off. If you are still feeling tired even after napping, then it is advised that you visit a doctor because you might be suffering from sleep disorders such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea. Try to include napping in your daily list of things and I assure you’ll be more than happy with the results. I’ll be back after a quick nap. Have a great weekend everyone!

Celebrity couples are always in the news. Either they are getting married or getting divorced or sometimes doing both in the same week. Whether you like them or not, there is no getting away from their life dramas. Ronan and Yvonne are one of my favourite celebrity couples and I was a bit surprised when they announced their split a month back. I’ve always had a liking for them but just couldn’t figure out why. Could be because they looked perfect and that they had been in a relationship for fourteen years? I really don’t know.

Couple of days back, they made a public appearance together holding hands. They were on their way to St. Sylvester’s Church in Dublin to attend their son’s confirmation. Hold your horses, these two haven’t gotten back together but this was only for just one day. Seems that even after their split, they are very close. You would be close with anyone after spending 14 years together right? But its a shame that Yvonne and Ronan couldn’t work things out.

It is reported that they are keen to make the divorce easier for their kids with absolutely no legal battles for anything. The couple will even divide their £24 million fortune without any legal proceedings which I think sets a benchmark for not just celebrity couples, but even normal couples who cannot live together anymore. As painful as it would be for their three kids, the whole situation is much better than what we’ve seen with other celebrity divorces.

Ronan And Yvonne Keating even said that their family had not broken up and it was only their personal lives that were going to be changed. While I do think that who you are with is a big part of your personal life, I cannot but admire the great maturity these two have shown. This last week appearance is the couple’s first after they had announce the split. They had been keeping a low profile ever since the split announcement with Ronan’s only public appearance being the Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House and Yvonne’s running some errands near Dublin. Whatever be, we wish Ronan, Yvonne and all their three kids happiness, love and togetherness for the rest of their lives.

After a while I know most of you ladies will be bored out of your mind so I’ve compiled a list of summer hobbies that’ll keep you occupied and lively all through this season. A friendly warning, some of these would require you to actually get out off the couch and go outside. If you are a couch potato to the core, no worries I’ve got some that won’t require you to even move an inch. So without further a due, let me present some of the best inexpensive hobbies you can pursue this summer.

Now, before you pick a hobby, ask yourself are you an outdoor or an indoor person? Either way, I have tried to include as many options as I possibly could so go nuts. So let’s start with the outdoors ones shall we? First my favourite-hiking. I love going into the wilderness and taking in all the fresh air. Start off your day with a little hiking and I promise you’d want to go out every morning. If hiking is a bit too much for you, go jogging. A little walk down the beach or the park perhaps? Its a great way to get in shape and also meet new people. If you have group of friends, let them join you.

Here are some more ideas camping, hosting BBQ’s, fishing, biking, swimming, bird watching, stargazing, gardening, aircraft spotting and one that is catching on really fast; metal detecting. Buy a good magnet, fix it at the end of a walking stick and start off on your adventure. There’s a whole world out there ready to be magnetised by your charm. You’ll be amazed to find out what all stuck to your magnet at the end of the day.

Now for those indoorsy ladies. Learn a new craft this summer. Stitching, beading, calligraphy, song writing, toy making, baking, painting, blogging and embroidery are fine options. If you have the change to spare, buy yourself a good digital camera and get into photography. This is like a crossover hobby which works indoors as well as outdoors. Take a great picture outside and then edit it indoors! There are too many hobbies in my head right now but I’ve only named the inexpensive ones. If none of these sound interesting, how about redecorating your home? That’ll keep you busy all summer and may be even longer. You can try even all of these and see which one is most fun and stick with it. Whichever hobby you do pick, have fun and make this summer count!